Healthy, individually packaged snacks aren’t just nice to have in schools—they’re a must for keeping kids fueled, focused, and ready to learn. But what’s the best way to serve them? If you’re struggling to come up with ideas beyond handing out granola bars after school, we’ve got you covered. Here are five creative ways to serve snacks in K-12 schools that can support learning, keep energy levels up, and even help motivate your staff.
1. After-School Program Snacking
Kids’ energy levels can drop like rocks in the late afternoon, which is why pick-me-ups are so important for after-school programs. Teachers and staff can pass out dried fruit or clean-ingredient meat sticks to keep their students engaged and energized after school.
2. Field Trip Treats
Perk up your students on their next field trip with grab-and-go trail mixes, single-serving veggie snacks, or healthy energy bars. Field trips are a great opportunity to use packaged snacks in your programming. Fruits and vegetables are great, but you don’t have to worry about keeping packaged snacks at a specific temperature on the bus or packing special equipment for serving.
3. Summer Program Snacking
Keeping students focused and engaged during summer programs can be tricky, but snacks are one tool in your school’s toolbox. Encourage teachers to pass out better-for-you packaged snacks like allergy-friendly cookies as rewards for good behavior or when students’ energy starts to dip.
4. Event Refreshments
Packaged snacks have applications beyond the classroom and cafeteria. To get creative with our snack program, consider offering tasty, healthy treats like gluten-free energy bites or solar-popped popcorn to students, staff, or parents at your next assembly, field day, or parent-teacher conference. They’re a great option to keep everyone happy and fed without any mess or hassle.
5. Staff Pick-Me-Ups
Just like kids, adults need healthy and nourishing snacks to keep their energy levels high and their minds focused. To help, consider offering better-for-you options like clean-ingredient protein bars that they can munch on instead of less healthy treats. You can also use snacks to boost morale and show that you care. Bring in a few cases of a delicious snack (always an excellent pairing with fresh fruit) for teachers and staff to share on end-of-the-year and back-to-school days, in-service days, and holidays.
Choose the Right Snacks for Your Schools
It can be tough to find wholesome, nut-free, and tasty packaged snacks to serve your students. But if you’re looking for snacks that are high in protein and fiber, have real, pronounceable ingredients, and have no, low, or natural sugar, then The FruitGuys Farm-to-School Program is a great place to start. We’re best known for our farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, but we also offer two different snack options for delivery: curated snack mixes and bulk cases of individual snacks.
Thoughtful Snack Box
This curated snack mix comes in multiple sizes and includes a wide variety of snacks. It’s perfect for a field trip, summer program, or staff room.
Bulk Snacks by the Case
With our by the case program, you can choose your favorite snack(s) and order them in bulk to pass out at events, in the classroom, or during snack breaks.
How to Order Snacks for Your Students & Staff
You can order bulk snacks from The FruitGuys Farm-to-School Program on our Bulk Snacks page. There, you can see key details like which snacks are available now, how much they cost per case, and the allergy information for each snack, all in one place.
If you’re interested in our Thoughtful Snack Box mix, our customer service team can help you place an order. Contact us here if you’re new to our program or here if we’re already delivering to your schools. We’re always happy to walk you through the delivery process; chat about our accounting, reporting, and tracking support; or share even more creative ways to serve snacks in K-12 schools.